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Mars By 1980
£14.99
Electronic music is now ubiquitous, from mainstream pop hits to the furthest reaches of the avant garde. But how did we get here? In ‘Mars by 1980’, David Stubbs charts the evolution of synthesised tones, from the earliest mechanical experiments in the late nineteenth century, through the musique concrete of the Futurists and radical composers such as Pierre Schaeffer and Karl Stockhausen, to the gradual absorption of electronic instrumentation into the mainstream, be it through the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, grandiose prog rock or the DIY approach of electronica, house, and techno. Stubbs tells a tale of mavericks and future dreamers, malfunctioning devices and sonic mayhem.
Description
In Mars By 1980, David Stubbs charts the evolution of electronic music from the earliest mechanical experiments in the late nineteenth century, through to the familiar sounds of electronica, house and techno that we know today. It's a tale of mavericks and future dreamers overcoming Luddite resistance, malfunctioning devices, and sonic mayhem. The beginnings may be in the world of avant-classical composition, but it continues on through the cosmic funk of Stevie Wonder and Giorgio Moroder, via the astonishing sounds of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, through unforgettable eighties electropop by the likes of Depeche Mode, the Pet Shop Boys and Laurie Anderson, and right up to present-day innovators on the underground scene.